Practice question · Multiple choice
Support can sometimes make an outcome worse, recipients of heavy practical help occasionally recover more slowly. What accounts for that?
Hints
- Ask what unrequested help implies about the helper’s estimate of you.
- The same soup delivered on request and unasked are different messages.
Show the answer
A. Because unasked-for help can signal that the person is judged incapable
Why
Support is interpreted, not merely received. Invisible support, help given without being marked as help, outperforms visible support precisely because it carries no such implication.
Practise Social Support
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